It's the Circus Life
by Kawaii-Omake
Summary: AU Fanfic. Lucy is tired of the life her father wants her to live. Wanting to escape, she finds herself at Magnolia Carnival, where clowns are the norm and everyone's goal is to be happy. Can she survive this new way of life?
1. A New Beginning

Chapter One: A New Beginning  
Fairy Tail Fanfiction  
Characters are owned by Hiro Mashima  
Alternate Universe

AN: Hooray, an AU! This idea has been in my mind for quite some time now but I've been hesitant to pursue it. It might start slow at the beginning, but I'll try to make it interesting enough to capture your attention. Let the randomness begin…

….

Hot tears ran down Lucy Heartphila's cheeks as she slammed her door, frustration building up inside of her as she screamed obscenities to the world. How could he… how could he? Desperately trying to remove her beautiful, long-flowing dress, she clumsily ripped the material and muffled back a sob. She didn't care. She hated this. She hated him. The dress ruined beyond repair, she continued to rip the beautiful, satin material, victimizing it until it became a pile of rags.

She wiped the mascara that was running down her face as she looked outside the glass-paned door that led to her balcony. The moon winked, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. Bullshit. Things were not going to be okay. Her father was the most powerful businessman in Fiore and was handing her away like a sack of potatoes. To make matters worse, it was a short, stumpy prince who was the heir to some powerful corporation.

Lucy's body shook, remembering her father as he told her his "wonderful plans." She would marry the "handsome" Prince Sawalu, the son of the Julenelles, so that her father could expand his railways to the south. She cringed. Prince Sawalu was round and she remembered her first impression of him. He sweated when he was nervous, and he would not stop perspiring when he met her. She remembered forcing a smile on her face as she unwilling greeted him hello.

But she didn't hate her father for choosing a distasteful groom. No, she hated him because he had decided the engagement on his own, and didn't tell Lucy about it until the day before the wedding.

"_You will be wed tomorrow morning at exactly 10 o' clock sharp. A banquet hall is being prepared as we speak, by Prince Sawalu and his servants. You will marry him and be happy. Do you understand?"_

Biting the bottom of her lip, Lucy placed her head between her knees, hugging herself as she tried to keep warm. She was only wearing her undergarments, but she was too emotionally distressed to care. Resting her back against the head board of her bed, she tried to distract herself by looking at her surroundings.

Her room was beautiful and pink, with lacy curtains hanging from the windows to shield her from the sun. Her bookshelves and drawers were carved with beautiful designs, made by the best craftsman in Fiore, and was painted white to match the pink room. Her room displayed a princess theme and was chosen by her parents, who were inspired by the many fairytales Lucy's nanny read to her when she was two years old. She had lived in this mansion her whole life and was living her last day of freedom. She felt tears well up in her eyes again.

This wasn't fair. She was seventeen for crying out loud, not five years old! She could make her own rational decisions! She recalled demanding her father to reconsider, but he snapped before she could state her reasons.

"_Lucy, when will you stop being selfish? If you continue to act like this, you will have to suffer severe consequences. You're the daughter of the Heartfilia estate; you can't live your life like other girls. This is your destiny."_

Her hands gripped her knees, feeling humiliation tickle her ears and cheeks. No, she wasn't being selfish… she was just trying to live her life. Shifting her position to stare her bedside table, she spotted her mom smiling at her and grabbed the picture. She hugged it to her chest, and closed her eyes. "What would you do if you were in my position mom?" she mumbled.

A few minutes passed, and the only sound Lucy could hear was the clock, its pendulum swinging back and forth as it ticked the seconds away. Her breathing began to regulate as her mind tried to erase her father's cruel words. He was always like this… ever since her mother passed away. The only thing he cared about was his work and he was blind to see his daughter's pain.

If she ran away, he would never notice.

As if lightning had struck her, it took her a few seconds to realize what she must do. Her nerves were jumping with anxiety, as blood pumped into her ears. Yes, she knew _exactly_ what to do. Lucy Heartfilia would not stand for this injustice.

With this new resolve, her eyes flashed with determination as Lucy gingerly placed her mom's picture on the bed. She lightly ran her finger down the frame, saying a quiet prayer before turning her back. Grabbing a bag, she began to shove clothes and necessities before zipping it shut. Changing into a tank top and skirt, she grabbed her favourite sweater off its hanger and slipped it on, buttoning it up to her neck.

Now how was she going to do this?

She opened her balcony doors, the wind embracing her body as she slung her bag over her shoulder. It was too high to jump. Maybe a makeshift rope would do, but what materials did she have? At the corner of her eye, she noticed her pile of rags and grinned, thanking God that the result of her frustration was a blessing in disguise.

Going into her closet again, she went and took out several beautiful dresses. Not giving it a second thought, she began to rip the dresses, careful not to be too loud to wake the servants. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her throat as she ripped and tied the pieces together. The last time she did something this naughty was when she was three years old and discovered that white walls were not made to be canvases.

Deciding that her rope was secure, she took the long string of rags and ran back to her balcony. She tied it to one of the steel brackets and slowly dropped it down, watching as the rainbow of colours fell and hit the floor. One of the maids owned the rooms below her, and Lucy knew the old woman always closed her curtains before she slept. She also knew that she was a heavy sleeper and would not hear the commotion that was happening upstairs. She could feel her heart race.

She couldn't believe she was doing this.

Tugging the rope to make sure it was secure; she gripped the handle of her bag and looked back to where her mother laid. 'I'm finally leaving mom,' Lucy thought, feeling guilty that she was leaving her precious mother alone. Maybe she would come back one day, to visit her mom, when her father decided he wanted to be her father again.

Maybe one day.

Climbing over the banister, she could feel the wind nibble her ankles as she shivered, suddenly regretting her choice of clothes. But it was too late now as she slowly started to climb down, using the rope to support her weight, and being careful not to slip. She should have worn her shoes, but in her rush, had shoved them into her bag. Her feet were cold, and it felt like she was going to get frostbite by the time she hit the floor.

Her hands felt clammy, nervous that she was sneaking out of her house for the first time. To calm herself, she tried to imagine that she was going on an "mini adventure". She was the princess, tired of her father's selfish ways, and was finally escaping her tall tower. There was no prince, but Lucy didn't care. She didn't need a prince; she was independent and could take care of herself.

Her feet hit the ground, which made her 'oof' as she clumsily fell to the floor. Ouch. Standing to brush her bottom, she checked to make sure she was in one piece and sighed when she saw no scratches.

When she noticed there were no guards, Lucy slowly started to jog before breaking out into a run. The grass was cool below her feet and she pumped her arms, looking only at the road ahead. Reaching the Heartfilia gate, she cursed, forgetting it was locked and attempted to climb it.

Finding it too difficult, she spotted an alternative and dashed towards the large oak tree her mother planted before Lucy was born. She remembered her mom explain that trees were good for the environment because they released oxygen for humans to breathe in. Her mother didn't realize that her tree was also good for climbing and escaping hellholes.

Struggling, her feet stung as they dug into the bark, lifting her up as she squirmed her way towards the branch, the one that would lead her to her freedom. Tongue stuck out in determination, she dropped herself, her hands holding on for dear life as she slowly started to swing. Feeling like a monkey, she continued to swing her body towards the end of the branch until she was perpendicular to the ground.

When she landed, Lucy felt herself keel over. Panting, the beautiful blonde felt her legs throb with pain, tired from all the climbing and running. She deeply regretted not taking physical education seriously in private school.

Catching her breath, she looked back and thanked God once more that it was still quiet outside her house. She could see one of the rooms lit up, which Lucy guessed was her father hard at work. His curtains were closed, and it almost made her feel disappointed that he didn't care to stop her. Not that he could see her anyways.

The Heartfilia heiress continued to run, worried that if she didn't keep moving someone would see her and wake the household. She ran and ran, through dark forests and mud puddles. Her feet were frozen now, but she wouldn't stop until she was far away from her father.

Falling to the floor, Lucy gasped for breath as she rested her back against a tree. There were too many damn trees in this forest! She wasn't even sure where she was going, or if she was running in circles. Spotting a river close by, she crawled before dipping her dirty feet into the water. Cleaning them, she noticed her reflection and grimaced, before proceeding to wash her face too. She had forgot about her appearance and looked like a raccoon with her mascara smudged unattractively.

Taking her feet out of the river, she frowned, noticing the deep cut that was on her left foot as she slipped on her shoes and socks. Her eyes were feeling heavy, and she made a pathetic attempt to use one of her shirts as a blanket. She was finally out of the house, but was cold, hungry, and unsure of tomorrow. Was this a decision she was going to regret for the rest of her life? Lucy shook her head. No, this was what she wanted. Being cold and homeless was better than being married to a prince she didn't love.

As Lucy quietly slept, she was unaware of the strong arms that picked her up, the figure's pink hair shining under the moonlight as he carried her out of the forest. A blue cat floated beside him, concern washing over his face as the animal looked at the blonde. The three walked in silence until they finally reached their destination.

Colourful flags fluttered and toys sat quietly in their shelves, patiently waiting for customers to come and try to win them. Hovering the area were large, metallic beasts, eager to be ridden on as their bodies twisted in loops and spirals. The sound of orders being shouted could be heard as workers desperately tried to put the finishing touches to their wonderland.

"Damn, she's heavy."  
"Aye!"

Welcome to the Magnolia Carnival.


	2. The Magnolia Carnival

Chapter Two: The Magnolia Carnival  
Fairy Tail Fanfiction  
Characters owned by Hiro Mashima  
Alternate Universe

….

_Lucy's nose twitched as the smell of violets and daffodils tickled her nose. She was reminded of her mother's beautiful flower fields that spread throughout the Heartfilia territory. Opening her eyes, she allowed her chocolate orbs to adjust as she tried to recognize where she was. She knew for sure that she was no longer in a forest for, her feet stood on hardwood instead of grass and swing sets replaced trees. From what she could see, she was at a park and the Heartfilia daughter was under a gazebo._

"_How did I get here," she questioned, feeling confused as she rubbed her eyes, only to feel soft satin make contact instead of soft human hands. Wait, satin? She looked at her attire felt her eyes bulge and threaten to leave her eye sockets. _

_Instead of her tank top and skirt she was wearing a gorgeous white wedding dress with a long train trailing from the back. The bodice was designed with beads that were carefully stitched and her skirt puffed, making her look like a human marshmallow. Adorned her feet were glassed slippers, which made Lucy feel like Cinderella as she tried to shake them off. What was going on? Who dressed her in this fashion and what kind of sick, elegant prank was this?_

"_Lucy."_

_Lucy immediately spun around, the tiara on her head glittering as she turned. Standing in front of her was her father, with Prince Sawalu standing next to him wearing a fitted tuxedo that had evidence of heavy perspiration. She felt her lungs tightened, staring with disbelief as Prince Sawalu slowly approached her, his hands shaking before touching her with his clammy hands. "M-My lovely bride!"_

_She slapped his hands away, ignoring the Prince's protest as she narrowed her eyes at her father. "What is the meaning of this? Why am I here? Why have you dressed me like this?" Her father chuckled, closing and re-opening his eyes as he took a step closer. "Lucy, you look so beautiful," he murmured, stroking her cheek as he looked at his daughter up and down. He paid no attention to Lucy's heated glare. "You really are a perfect bride. Perfect for marriage."_

_Marriage? "I'm not getting married to anyone!" she exclaimed, trying to make her escape until she felt something attached to her ankle. She gasped, almost losing her step as she looked behind, hiking up the wedding skirt as she tried to eye the weight. Jiggling her ankle, she realized she was attached to a ball and chain and felt her anger spike up. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, resisting the urge to jump on the floor and gnaw on the chain. Wasn't this what she was running away from? Why was she here?_

_Reading her mind, her father laughed, his voice filling up the air as he shook his head. By the way he was acting it was as if Lucy had just asked a stupid question. "Why Lucy, today is your wedding day. Why would you try to escape?" In a darker tone he leaned down, his mouth near Lucy's ears as he whispered, "You can't run away from destiny. I thought I told you this multiple times. You are a Heartfilia. This is your future."_

_She pushed her father away, forgetting respect as she tried to run, making an attempt to drag the ball and chain with her. She could see a priest slowly walk towards the gazebo, reading the bible as his spectacles drooped to the bridge of his nose. He was walking at an incredibly slow pace and it tortured Lucy, who felt trapped in an open air prison. She felt Prince Sawalu eyes on her, violating her with his gaze as he licked his thick lips. "L-Lucy, m-marry me!"_

_Lucy shrieked with disgust, fighting away Sawalu's lecherous hands as she heard her father roar with laughter. No, no, no! This was all wrong! This was not how she was going to live her life! She was supposed to be free, free from this!_

"_Stop! Stop!"_

…_._

"STOOOOOP!"

Lucy gasped, a trickle of sweat dripping down her forehead as she wobbled on her chair. She placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beat furiously as she tried to shake the perverted thoughts out of her mind. Was that a dream? It had to be a dream! Patting her body, she realized she was in her normal clothes and sighed with relief. Thank goodness. She also noticed that there was no gazebo in sight, which made the young girl happier.

However, she was still not in her forest, which continued to arouse her suspicions as she tried to stand up. Her left leg was propped on a box, and when she placed it down to walk, she tumbled to the ground. "Aah!" she yelped, holding onto her foot as she tried to stop the stinging. Ow, why did her foot hurt so much?

Feeling helpless, she aimlessly looked around, trying to understand her new location as she saw herself surrounded by a red circle of walls. Sawdust penetrated her senses as Lucy tried to ignore the strong smell, making her conclusion that she was in a circus tent. It must have been the janitor's closet as miscellaneous cleaning utensils laid messily around the grassy floor. There was a pile of wooden planks lying together on one side of the room, and a small cot on the other. The flimsy tent door was rolled up, and as Lucy crawled, she gasped when she saw an elephant walk by. Where in Magnolia was she?

"Oh, are you awake?"

Lucy blinked, looking up to find a beautiful platinum haired girl staring down at her. In her hands was a first aid kit, and she smiled as she offered Lucy her hand. Sheepishly, Lucy took the hand, a warm blush coloring her cheeks as she mesmerizingly stared at the girl's beauty. This girl looked strangely familiar, though Lucy had no idea where she spotted her. "U-Uhm…"

Lucy dumbly followed the girl as she led Lucy back to her chair, propping her leg on the box and popping open the first aid kit. The blonde watched with curiosity as she saw the brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and squeaked when she felt the medicinal liquid burn her skin. "C-Can I ask what you're doing?" Lucy whispered, trying to cover up her pain as she squeezed her arm. Her foot stung and the pain was two times worse from before.

"I'm sorry." The girl turned her blue eyes to Lucy and gave her an apologetic smile. "I know this is sudden, but you have a deep cut on your foot and it needs immediate cleaning. Please don't freak out."

'_What makes you think I'm not freaking out now?_' Lucy thought, watching the girl carefully swab her foot before placing a band aid on it. The girl was really nice, Lucy decided, and she felt bad that she wasn't saying anything. "T-Thank you," Lucy replied, after a few minutes of silence before awkwardly looking away.

Mirajane giggled, finding Lucy's shyness cute as she placed the hydrogen peroxide into the kit. "Don't worry about it. I would have treated you sooner but I only found you sleeping here today. I'm Mirajane by the way. You don't need to be shy, I promise I won't bite."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh as she smiled at the girl. "I'm Lucy by the way. Lucy He-" She stopped herself, realizing that she was about to say her last name. The one thing she tried to run away from. "I'm Lucy." She re-stated, hoping that Mirajane did not catch her hesitation and gave her another smile. "Uhm… can I ask where am I?"

Mirajane hummed as she put the box of bandages away, placing the first aid kit on her lap as she tilted her head to the side. "Why, you're at the Magnolia Carnival! Well, at least a part of it. You're in one of the Fairy Tail Circus tents right now." She all of a sudden leaned closer to Lucy, as if ready to tell her a big secret. "It's the most wonderful place in the world."

Fairy Tail Circus? Magnolia Carnival? Why were those words familiar? "A-Ah… I see. Who brought me here? I don't recall being in a carnival when I went to bed…"

She was about to continue when she saw a scarlet haired woman poke her head inside the tent. The girl looked young and it seemed that she was trying to look for something. Her eyes brightened when she laid eyes on Mirajane and Lucy. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a top that showed her mid drift, revealing her toned stomach as her long legs swiftly took her to the direction Lucy was in.

"I see you're finally awake," the girl stated, placing her hands on her hips. "Did you sleep well?" Although she was asking out of respect, Lucy found it oddly endearing that the girl was treating her like a highly respected guest. She imagined the situation as if she was in a five star room, but then grimaced when the smell of elephant dung wafted in her nose. She wasn't used to such terrible smells, for her father and mother made sure that everything in their household smelled like roses and vanilla. Mmm…

"Erza, this is Lucy." Mirajane introduced, snapping Lucy out of her thoughts as she turned to the redheaded girl. "She just woke up. She had a big cut on her foot, so I came to clean it. She wants to know who brought her into our carnival. It was Natsu right?"

Natsu? Who the heck was that?

"I think so," Erza mused, rubbing her chin in thought as she tried to recollect last night's events. "Yes, I think he and Happy brought Lucy in when the construction workers were still setting up. He said he found her sleeping in a forest as they were walking home." Lucy blushed, feeling embarrassed that her situation was spoken out loud. She wasn't in the mood for questions, in fear that she was going to spill out her life story. It was going to start with "I was in the forest because…" and end with "I hate him so much."

Mirajane's eyes widened. "Really? Natsu baby found her? Well that's a surprise…" The white haired girl giggled, and Lucy caught the twinkle in her eyes as Mirajane brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Damn, why was Mirajane so pretty? "A-Are you a model or something?" Lucy asked, not being able to refrain herself as she immediately clasped a hand over her mouth. They gave her amused looks, which made Lucy wish she could disappear. She sounded so stupid right now.

"Actually, Mirajane was in a few issues of the _Cirque du Fame_ magazine." Erza explained, grinning at the girl as the addressed woman began to blush, feeling shy about her accomplishments. The light bulb clicked inside Lucy's brain as the pieces finally came together. Lucy was in _the_ famous Fairy Tail Circus! No wonder everything sounded familiar!

She had read an issue about them once, when she was at the doctor's getting her daily check up. The doctor's room had been stuffy and only had two year old fashion magazines for patients to read. She stumbled across _Cirque du Fame_ by accident, attracted by the bright costumes that each of the members wore. "Omigosh, you're _the_ Mirajane! A-And you must be…" she gasped, suddenly feeling awestruck. "Ezra, the toughest girl in Fairy Tail!"

The two Fairy Tail members looked at her questioningly, confused by her change of attitude. Erza smirked, feeling flattered that she was being recognized and closed her eyes, allowing the compliment to wash her. "Why, thank you Lucy, I didn't expect you to be so kind." She then placed her hand on Lucy's shoulder, about to say something but decided against it. Why she was in a forest was Lucy's business. Spotting a backpack and a pair of shoes near the cot, she turned Lucy to that direction and began lightly pushing her towards it. "I hope you don't find me rude, but Mirajane and I are quite busy. We still have to go through our routine before the show tonight."

She then picked up Lucy's shoes, handing them to her as Lucy struggled to get them on. It seemed that whoever brought her here was kind enough to take off her shoes as an attempt to make her comfortable. "You can explore the carnival if you wish, I'm sure that this is your first time being here." Seeing Lucy meekly nod, she smiled softly as she patted the girl on the shoulder. "I'll leave your stuff here, so don't get lost and forget where you are." Erza, heading towards the exit, looked back to turn to Mirajane and stated, "Mirajane will help you find your way out of the circus. It's quite large and easy to get lost in."

After putting on her shoes, Mirajane kindly took Lucy's hand and led her out of the tent. Lucy noticed that there were colorful tents scattered in the area, each one having its own purpose and importance. Her mind drifted as Mirajane began to explain each tent, watching as a short white-haired girl washed an elephant and another white-haired man scrub the elephant's body. She saw several members dragging costumes in one tent and a couple arguing in another, hearing bits and pieces of the conversation such as "You're suppose to go left!" and "You're doing it wrong!"

Before she knew it, she was at the entrance of the circus, underneath a sign that was decorated with fairies and trees. In bold red letters, the sign said "FAIRY TAIL" and the flag fluttered right beside it, waving the Fairy Tail insignia for the whole world to see. "This is the entrance to our Circus," Mirajane explained, stating the obvious as she watched people crowd around game booths and line up for rides. "You can go walk around, perhaps get a bite to eat. Do you have money?"

Lucy automatically felt her pockets and mentally sighed when she felt crisp bills in her sweater pocket. She nodded, which Mirajane took as a sign to leave and began to walk away, waving goodbye to the girl before going inside a tent. As Mirajane's figure swished, Lucy slowly began walking through the carnival, pretending not to be a tourist as she eyed all the stuffed animals that were hanging from the shelves. She had never been to a carnival before because her father believed that it was the poor's way of having fun. Watching as children ran around with cotton candy in their hands, she suddenly felt sad as she watched families laugh and hold their children tightly in their arms. It reminded her of her mother, who used to hold her before she passed away.

Too preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't see the figure that stood before her and 'oof-ed' as she lightly bumped into it. "S-Sorry." Lucy mumbled, apologizing as she tried to see who she bumped into.

"Oi, watch where you're going!"

Lucy blinked and noticed that it was a clown standing right in front of her. His dark, charcoal eyes glared at her as his white painted face sketched into a scowl. The clown had rose colored hair and his red nose was urging her to squeeze it. On his waist was a fanny pack, filled with un-blown balloons and treats for children to enjoy. She realized he was scowling at her, which made her scowl back as she placed one hand on her hip. "Hey, I said I was sorry! You don't need to be rude!"

A blue cat wearing a tacky tie floated beside the clown, his face painted white as he sucked on a lollipop. Recogizing Lucy, his eyes widened before he eagerly patted Natsu on the face. "Look Natsu! It's the girl from the forest! Look!"

"Damnit Happy, quit smudging my make up!" He tried to smack Happy away, who easily dodged as the cat named Happy floated towards Lucy, eyeing her curiously. Natsu tilted his head to the side, trying to remember where he had seen this blonde and smacked his fist in an open palm. "Ah! You ARE that girl in the forest!" He exclaimed, revealing his canines as he broke out into a grin.

Lucy quirked an eyebrow, having no idea what the clown was talking about and slowly nodded. "Uuh… right. Anyways… nice meeting you." She mumbled, trying to run away before she felt the boy grip her arm. His hands were calloused, she observed, and it felt very weird when his fingers grazed her soft skin. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked, his big shoes flopping after her as she smacked his hand away. What was this guy's problem, why was he so curious about her?

"Uhm, away from you?" Natsu was about to chase the girl when he was suddenly interrupted by a small girl with blonde ringlets. It reminded him of curly french fries, which made his stomach gurgle as he put on his big, clown smile. "Hello, what can I do for you? Hyuk, hyuk!"

'_Ew what a creep.'_ Lucy thought, feeling disturbed as she walked away. Things were so weird, why were random people approaching her? She suddenly heard the name 'Natsu' get called out, which made Lucy whipped around to face his direction. All she saw was the clown, stretching a long balloon before blowing into it. His name was Natsu? Was he the boy Mirajane and Erza mentioned? She turned her head, watching with amusement as 'Natsu' tried to make a balloon animal.

POP!

The balloon exploded, making Natsu panic as the little girl screamed. "My doggy!" she wailed, tears sprouting from her eyes as she started to cry horrendously. Everyone was looking at the two, and Lucy suddenly felt bad for the poor clown. Maybe this was his first time, and he didn't go to a proper clown academy to learn how to blow up balloons. Lucy started to make her way back, out of sympathy and curiosity at what 'Natsu' would do next.

"D-Don't cry!" Natsu exclaimed, running his hand through his hair as he tried to avoid the gazes of disapproving parents. "Shit! Happy! Do something!" The cat, panicking himself, randomly took out a pair of maracas, trying to sooth a girl as he started to shake them in rhythm, dancing to distract the girl. Ms. Curly Fries, not amused, snatched the maracas and threw them on the floor, screaming even louder as she stepped on Natsu's large floppy shoes, almost getting his toe. "I WANT MY DOGGY!"

"A-Ah… What the hell do we do?" Natsu muttered to Happy, getting ready to blow up another balloon. Damnit, he shouldn't have taken Levi's shift. The blue haired girl exclaimed that she was busy and could not patrol the carnival during lunch. Natsu, wanting to escape from Erza's totalitarianism, volunteered to do her shift. How was he supposed to know there was going to be crying kids involved?

"You can always try giving the kid some candy."

Natsu immediately dug into his fanny pack and handed the kid as much candy as she wanted. Ms. Curly squealed as she took two handfuls of candy and shoved it into her coat pocket. She then skipped giddily away, which made Natsu wipe away the invisible sweat that collected on his eyebrows. "Thanks a lot," Natsu mumbled, turning around to be face to face with the same blonde girl he just encountered a few moments ago. Feeling slow, it just dawned on him that this girl was pretty and it didn't help that she was tempting him with that small skirt. He flashed a big smile. "What brings you back here? Couldn't resist my _irresistible_ charms?"

Lucy tried not to gag as she felt his ego swell and hit her on the head. She blushed as he wiggled her eyebrows, making Happy snicker as he mimicked his owner. Scoffing, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, taking great interest in a man who was trying hard to shoot the wooden ducks in one of the booths. "No, why would I do that?" she replied, grinning as she watched the clown pout. "I just came to save you from that super _embarrassing_ situation. You really suck as a clown."

Natsu rolled his eyes, not enjoying the criticism this girl was giving him. "Why don't _you_ try being a clown for a day? Do you know how _hard_ it is to make crowns and poodles out of balloons? Plus, you got to be so damn cheerful all the time!" He was soon interrupted as he felt his stomach gurgle, craving curly fries as he groaned. "Man I'm hungry," he whined, hearing Lucy giggle before her stomach growled as well. He smirked. "And it looks like you're hungry too."

Lucy could feel her cheeks turn pink as she invisibly tried to wipe the smirk off his face. "Shut up!" she exclaimed, not liking how much of a smart aleck this clown was being towards her. "I… I didn't eat breakfast," she explained.

"Happy and I were just going to take a break anyways, you can eat with us! I'm Natsu by the way. Natsu Dragonil! This is Happy." Natsu pointed to the blue cat, who in returned saluted Lucy and went "Aye!"

Lucy felt her happiness bubble as he confirmed her doubts. So this was Natsu! She wasn't just stalking a random clown! She stuck out a hand for him to shake. "I'm Lucy. Just Lucy. It's nice to meet you. I heard you brought me here from the forest and wanted to say thank you."

Natsu stared at the hand, startling Lucy as he grabbed it and began dragging her to an unknown place. Happy floated towards Natsu and landed on his head, curling up into a little blue ball. He was tired from flying and just wanted to rest.

"We'll talk later; I'm too hungry to make friendly conversation right now."

"Aye."

Lucy pouted but did not protest. She was also starving and could not stop her stomach from moaning out loud. All she wanted to do was eat and talk to Mirajane to find out more about the Fairy Tail Circus. She noticed couples staring at the three of them and realized that Natsu was still holding her hand. She blushed, for the umpteenth time, and immediately let go. In the back of her mind, Lucy had a strong feeling that blushing would become a _very_ familiar habit to her.


	3. Declarations

Chapter Three: Declarations  
Fairy Tail Fanfiction  
Characters owned by Hiro Mashima

**A/N: **Since this is an alternate universe, I don't think I'll be giving the characters their powers. Lol, sorry if it disappoints you but I just don't think it fits with my story. Why Happy can fly will be explained below. I'll try incorporating their traits as much as possible! Don't give up on me ;_;

….

"Luigi, these curly fries are the best! Why aren't you eating? Here, take some of my chicken, you look like you like oily stuff!"

"Aye! She does, Natsu!"

The said girl wasn't sure whether to be annoyed at 1) he had already forgotten her name or 2) he assumed she liked oily stuff, when she tried her best to avoid such foods to maintain her beautiful skin. Still, she could not refuse his offer as she slowly picked up the chicken wing, feeling the grease rub off her fingers as she took a small bite. She watched Natsu and Happy consume their food, making monstrous eating sounds as they fought over the last slurp of soda. She felt ketchup splatter on her face as Natsu took a big bite out of his burger, frowning as she quickly wiped the red sauce off her porcelain skin.

"Jeeze, don't you have manners?" She asked, stealing one of his fries and chewed delicately on the end. It had taken them a few minutes to find one of Natsu's favourite fast food restaurants, owned by a greasy old man who looked like he hadn't bathed for days. Although she was hesitant to order from him, Natsu had assured that he made the best food in town, and she was forced to trust his judgment when she placed her order.

However, she had only eaten a small portion of her lunch as she was too disturbed by the numerous stares she was getting from the crowd. Was it really that weird to eat lunch with a clown? Especially a clown that had pink hair, a floating cat, and was eating like there was no tomorrow? Lucy didn't see a problem. Sure, she was used to dining with men who knew the difference between a salad fork and an eating fork, but that didn't make her feel uncomfortable around Natsu. In fact, she found his presence enjoyable as she snuck another fry into her mouth, rolling her eyes as Natsu belched with happiness.

"Aaah, I'm so full!" He exclaimed, patting his stomach as he watched Happy clean his teeth. He loved eating at Smelly's, for the food was great and the owner was nice, despite the smell of rotten fish that leaked in from time to time. He noticed Lucy slowly take a bite out of his leftover fries and pushed the tray to her, amused as she shyly tried to deny them.

"It's okay, you can have them. I don't know why girls are so careful about their weight." He sighed as he looked at the sky. Man, he couldn't wait until he got to Fairy Tail. He wanted to wipe off his makeup and wear his regular clothes. He scratched his side, feeling itchy as he continued to watch Lucy eat. She was such a slow eater.

Lucy slowly munched the fries, feeling self conscious as she patted her cheek, trying to feel if there was a ketchup stain she missed. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"Why were you in the forest?"

Lucy blinked, swallowing her fry as she gave him a small smile. The moment of truth. She was beginning to feel nervous now, playing with the ends of her hair as she stared at her tray. What was she going to say? That she had felt unloved and wanted to escape her home? That she was unhappy?

"Did you get lost?" Natsu badgered, leaning his face closer as he narrowed his eyes, trying to read her facial expressions. She automatically leaned back, blushing at the closeness as she pushed his face away from hers. "You could say that," she stated, trying to laugh as another couple eyed them, curiously looking as the girl shifted her body closer to her boyfriend. "Is it just me or are we the centre of attention?"

Natsu ignored Lucy's question, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked at Happy, who was giving him an identical, worried expression. Something wasn't right. Why was she trying so hard to change the subject?

"Were you playing hide and seek and couldn't find your way out?" Happy asked, flapping his wings as he landed on Lucy's shoulder. She shook her head and shoved more fries into her mouth. Maybe if she just kept eating they would shut up and leave her alone. Frowning when she reached the bottom of the carton, she stood up and collected hers and Natsu's garbage. Happy fluttered back to Natsu as the two continued to watch her every move. She felt her stomach churn as she walked, threatening to regurgitate her food as the messy contents fell into the basket.

Quietly walking back to her seat, she sat with her hands on her lap, trying her best to ignore them as she stared at the graffiti on the table. Carved was the sentence, "Natsu and Happy's table", which made her chuckle as she ran her finger lightly through the words, tracing them until she reached the letter 'E'. The silence was unnerving, and it wasn't long until Lucy snapped and said, "What?"

"Why won't you tell us?" Natsu mumbled. His voice was surprisingly soft, which made Lucy look up and nervously scratch the back of her head. "I-I don't know." It was all she could say. She wasn't ready to tell them her problems; they had just met and were barely acquaintances!

"You want to hear a story?" Happy asked, trying to break the tension as he gave Lucy a half smile. Lucy nodded, and Happy turned to look at Natsu. By the way the duo exchanged looks; it looked like Happy was asking Natsu for permission, making Lucy feel intrigued as she leaned in closer. "What, what is it you want to tell me?" She asked as she tried to disguise her excitement. Her big, brown eyes glittered. She loved stories ever since she was a kid. She believed that stories helped shape who you were, so it was no surprise that she could hardly sit still when Happy cleared his throat.

"Natsu's foster father, Igneel, left Natsu when he was only five years old."

Lucy's mouth made an 'o' shape, her eyes widening as she turned to look at Natsu. The clown didn't say anything, allowing Happy continue as he watched people walk around the carnival.

"A-Am I allowed to hear-"

"It's okay. Happy, continue."

"Aye… he left him when he was young. It really hurt his feelings, as Igneel was the person who taught him everything."

Before Lucy's eyes could water, Happy broke into a grin and started to fly around. "But, Natsu is going to meet his father one day! It's why he joined Fairy Tail, so he could be famous and be the best performer ever! Then maybe his father will recognize and visit him! Perhaps even watch a show!"

The mood in the restaurant instantly changed as Natsu stood on his chair, placing one foot on the table as he roared, pumping his fist. "Igneel, I'm going to find you, just watch!" His infamous canines gleamed as he danced, making Lucy realize that Natsu had a very cute smile. It almost made her heart skip a beat, as she laughed along with the duo that pretended to juggle. Happy brought out his maracas and shook them as Natsu pretended to breathe fire.

"You guys…" She shook her head softly as another giggle elicited out of her mouth. She couldn't help but feel envious of Natsu's cheery personality. It made her wish that she could act positive around her father and not feel affected by his words. That, someday, she would be daddy's little girl instead of daddy's destined princess. She took a deep breath and placed money on the table. "Here, it's my treat. Thanks for showing me this restaurant."

In an instant, Natsu and Happy were bowing, their heads pressed against the floor as they clapped their hands in prayer mode. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! We are eternally grateful!" She sweat-dropped, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks as she tried to dismiss the issue. "Y-You guys! Not here! It's not a problem really…" She quickly left the restaurant, embarrassed, with the two hot on her tail.

….

As Natsu and Happy talked, Lucy stayed silent as she walked in the middle, deep in thought. It didn't look like Happy and Natsu were going to question her anymore, but she felt bad that Happy shared Natsu's life story so willingly. It made her feel that they had already trusted her, so she took another deep breath before spontaneously spinning around to face them. They blinked, before Natsu arched a rosy eyebrow. "What's up?"

"I ran away from home."

Before they could speak she continued. "My father doesn't care about me. All he cares about is money and can't think of anything else but how to expand the company. He was planning to wed me off to some weird guy who I've never met. Well I met him but I don't know him very well." It was as if something had came over Lucy, because once she started she didn't know how to stop. "So I told myself, 'I'm tired of this life' and decided to make an escape plan. It surprisingly turned out very well but I have no idea what I'm going to do. If you didn't find me in the forest, I would probably be starving to death right now or eaten by wolves."

Silence filled the air as a breeze gently caressed Lucy's gold locks. She was panting, trying to catch her breath as her cheeks burned from her adrenaline rush. She bit her bottom lip, playing with the hem of her shirt as she waited for a response. They just stared at her, their faces serious as they exchanged another set of looks. Oh man, they probably thought she was a loser. "I-I know it sounds weird, but I swear, it's the honest truth."

She watched as Natsu slowly approached her, closing her eyes as she anticipated the results. Were they going to laugh at her? Were they going to walk away, pretend that they didn't know this freak and ignore her for the rest of their lives? She felt a hand on her shoulder, making her flinch as she tried to push it away. It didn't budge. "N-Natsu?"

"You can join Fairy Tail."

"W-What?" She gave Natsu an incredulous look. "Are you serious?" She forced a laugh, ignoring the glimmer of hope that shined in her room of darkness. She was acting hysterical, clutching onto her stomach as she wiped an invisible tear. "You can't be serious." She was going to erupt into another series of laughter until she spotted the pink haired clown's all-too-serious face. She gulped. "I-I wouldn't be let in…" She mumbled, discovering that there was no point in pretending. They made her feel like an open book, easy to read and vulnerable to the public.

Natsu gave her a quizzical look and grinned. "Why not? I think you're pretty cool." Lucy felt herself blush, rolling her eyes when he said that. Jeeze. He continued, "And I'm pretty sure everyone will think you're cool too! C'mon! Let's ask for Master's approval!" With that, he grabbed Lucy's arm and ran towards the Circus, his grin spreading ear to ear as Happy flew beside them.

….

"WE'RE HOOOOOME!"

Various members of the circus greeted Happy and Natsu as the two stomped in, Lucy slowly trailing behind as she put her hands behind her back. She couldn't believe that she was back at the circus, as she scanned the audience for Mirajane. They were in another tent now, with tables set to make the place look like a bar. She grinned when she saw Mirajane behind the counter, who kindly waved at Lucy as she served a drink.

"Natsu, what's with the outfit? You look like you're going to scare children instead of greet them!"

"Shut up! I wasn't allowed to go outside with my normal clothes! I _had _to wear this."

All of a sudden, Natsu felt a gush of water hit him from behind, making him stumble as he spun around to glare at his attacker. He was sprayed again on the face, and he glubbed as the white make up began to drip. "D-Damnit!" He swore, wiping the rest of the makeup off as he glared at a white-haired girl. "What's your problem, Lisa?"

Lisanna giggled, turning off the hose as she happily skipped towards Natsu, ruffling his hair and cooed. "Awww Natsu, I was just helping you clean up! You can't speak to your future wife like that!" She teased, giggling as she pinched Natsu's cheeks, before walking towards the counter to speak to her sister.

Lucy blinked when Natsu's cheeks began to colour. For some reason, it was weird to watch Natsu blush. It gave her a weird feeling in her stomach, but she quickly dismissed it as she walked towards Mirajane, where the white haired girl was sitting. She was on a makeshift bar stool, happily chatting away as the older girl cleaned cups. The girl was cute and looked the same age as Lucy. She had short hair and was a few inches shorter than the blonde, her blue eyes twinkling as she watched Lucy come closer. "Hi!" The girl greeted, as she waved. "Are you new? I'm Lisanna!" Lucy returned the smile, before sticking out her hand for a handshake. "I'm Lucy; it's nice to meet you."

"Argh! I'm going to go change! Levi is going to kill me if she sees her costume soaking wet!" With this Natsu ran out of the tent, bumping into a guy in the process. "Hey, watch where you're going!" The man called, rolling his eyes as he sat on a barstool beside Lisanna. He looked at Lucy and smirked. "Say, who's this Lisanna? New girl?"

Lisanna turned around, gasped, and immediately hit the guy on the head. "Ow, what was that for?" He yelled, rubbing his head as he kept his eyes on Lucy. She began to blush, placing her hands over her eyes as she looked in the other direction. For the love of God, why wasn't he wearing clothes?

"Gray, where are your clothes?" Lisanna demanded, which made the guy curse as he tried to look around the tent. "Damnit, I swear I came with them on!" The guy named Gray stormed off, mumbling incoherent words as he picked up his pants from a table. Lisanna shook her head, staring in disbelief as she turned to look at Lucy, who still had her eyes covered. She giggled and slowly brought the girl's hands down. "It's okay; you can look now. He's not here anymore."

Lucy nodded, still blushing as she looked at Fairy Tail. The members were drinking and having a good time. Was everyone weird in this Circus? Mirajane cleared her throat, which got Lucy's attention as she glanced at the barmaid. She was smiling, looking at her clean cup one more time before setting it down. She winked. "So, I see you met Natsu." Both she and Lisanna giggled as Lucy sheepishly nodded. "Isn't he nice?"

"I-I guess…" The girl responded, cursing herself for stuttering as the dark haired male walked back, his clothes now on his body. He rubbed the back of his head and bowed in apology. "Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you like that. I'm Gray, what's your name?" As Lucy introduced herself, he took out a pair of cards and began to shuffle them. "I'm a magician; you want to see a trick? Alright, pick a card, pick any card!"

Lucy slowly picked up a card, and looked at the Queen of Hearts.

"Now put the card back into the deck." Lucy did so and Gray shuffled once more, the cards going back and forth from his hand. He looked like an expert, smiling as he threw the cards into the air before they fell into his sleeve. He gasped, pretending to look shocked as he looked inside his sleeves. "I'm sorry m'am, it seems I've lost your card! Would you mind taking this instead?" A dove suddenly peaked out of Gray's shoulder, making the girl squeal as it cooed.

"Wow, you're amazing!" Lucy exclaimed, clapping her hands as she watched the white bird fly around tables. All of a sudden, a large flame attacked the bird, making the animal squawk as it tried to avoid the flamethrower. "What the-" Gray glared to look at Natsu, who was laughing as he walked into the tent. He was now in a new set of clothes, his outfit reminding Lucy of Arabian nights as his open vest revealed his defined abs. Her eyes widened. Who would have thought that Natsu would be so toned? His arm muscles flexed as he took another swig at the large jug he was holding. He then burped out fire, laughing as Happy floated towards her.

"What's going on? I thought Natsu was a clown."

"Nah, he was only covering someone's shift. He's actually a fire breather! Cool huh?"

Lucy nodded, too distracted as she watched Gray storm over to Natsu, anger flashing in his eyes.

"What's the big idea birdbrain? You almost scorched my dove!"

"Tell your _pigeon_ to stay out of my way!"

"It's a _dove_, those are two different creatures! Or are you too stupid to know that?"

"Nudist!"

"Fire breath!"

"Slanty eyes!"

"Droopy eyes!"

"Grrr…"

Sparks began to fly as the two stared each other down, gritting their teeth as their foreheads pressed hard against each other. Each boy had their fist tightened into a ball, and it didn't take long before Natsu made the first move. Punching Gray in the face, no one paid attention as the two rumbled, yelling at each other as a cloud of destruction began to form. Lucy's eyes widened, looking at Mirajane and Lisanna who just shrugged their shoulders. They continued to talk, and Lucy thought it was crazy that they were allowing these two boys to fight. Just as she was about to get off her chair, Erza walked in and quickly separated the two boys.

"What's going on?" She asked coolly, glaring at the two as they began to nervously look at each other. Oh shit. They began to laugh as Erza dropped them to the floor, quickly hugging as they wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders. "Nothing Erza, being buddies as always!" Gray patted Natsu on the back as Natsu pretended to give his "best friend" an endearing smile. "Yup, yup! We're getting along just fine…"

Seeing the confusion in Lucy's eyes, Mirajane explained before the blonde could ask questions. "They're both scared of Erza." Lucy didn't say anything, feeling quite nervous herself when she caught the sadistic look in the redhead's eyes. Was this really the same girl from before?

"Well if you guys are done being idiots," Erza began, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at all the members inside the tent. "The master is coming." Automatically, people began to straighten their backs and finish the rest of their beers as a small, old man walked in. The room was silent as the Master walked to the bar and hopped on the counter, giving Mirajane a nod to acknowledge her. Lucy gulped, waiting to see what would happen next as she squeezed her hands.

"For the third night in a row, we did it! We have another full house tonight!" He exclaimed, and everyone cheered as they whooped and gave each other high fives. Natsu began to laugh and blew out another stream of fire, making Gray curse before realizing that he wasn't wearing his shirt. Seeing everyone laugh, Lucy smiled before catching the Master's eyes on her. She sucked in a breath.

"Who's this?"

Mirajane smiled and handed Makarov a mug of beer. "This is Lucy, Natsu brought her in." The old man didn't say anything as he sipped his beer. He then beckoned the fire breather to come over, and Natsu quickly obliged as he walked towards the rest of the group. He caught Lucy's eye and grinned, before asking the Master what was up. It was time.

"Natsu, why did you bring her here?"

"Luigi wants to join the circus!"

….

**SHORT, RANDOM, BLURB.**

"Hello, thank you for reading the third chapter of It's the Circus Life! I'm Lucy, the star of the show, and here's Happy to answer a _very_ serious question."

"Aye!"

"So Happy, the fans want to know, _why_ can you fly?"

"…"

"…"

"NATSU, LUCY'S BULLYING ME."

"WHAT?"

To be continued…


	4. Acceptance

Chapter Four: Acceptance  
Fairy Tail Fanfiction  
Characters owned by Hiro Mashima

**A/N: **Oh dear, it's been so long since I've written. I'm so sorry! It's just that I've been really busy with school, seeing as how I have to worry about university applications. I still have to work on my supplementary things for the program I want to get into –sigh-. I hope you enjoy this chapter ^_^

….

The tent went silent, bringing an uncomfortable breeze as Lucy shifted on her spot, not used to the feeling of multiple eyes staring at her. She tried to look to Mirajane for support but was greeted with a surprised barmaid. The model had almost dropped her cup after hearing the news and was staring at Lucy with wide blue eyes. Now the blonde wasn't sure if she wanted to pinch Natsu for making a scene or hit him for getting her name wrong.

"Uhm…"

She was about to continue when the tent suddenly erupted with cheers. Whistles filled the air as everyone started to crowd around Lucy, eager to meet the new member as they pushed and shoved to see what the Heartfilia princess looked like. She could see Erza smile, pleased with Natsu's announcement as she placed both hands on her hips, reminding Lucy of a military officer who had just heard she won the war. Mirajane was squealing, clapping her hands and quickly filling mugs with celebratory booze.

"A new member! Yay!"

"Oh, this one's cute! This one's _really_ cute!"

Lucy blushed, embarrassed by the attention as she placed her arms out front, making an invisible box to protect her from the friendly circus. Throughout this commotion, she was unable to see Natsu, who was grinning and rubbing his bruised cheek as he looked towards Master for approval. Mavarov simply smiled, nodding his head as he continued sipping his beer. "Anyone is allowed to join Fairy Tail, as long as they have the heart and determination to help make this circus a success."

Hearing this, Lucy wasn't sure whether to squeal out loud or be confused by the Master's warm generosity. She had just entered their lives for five minutes and was already treated like she was part of their family. Did she even deserve this treatment? She smiled brightly, before suddenly feeling her head hurt. She gripped it, confused by the pain before hearing a familiar voice.

_Pathetic. You think you belong in the Circus? I taught you better than this. You're a Heartfilia. This isn't where you belong._

She gasped, hearing her father's voice resonate in her mind. What was he doing there? How did he manage to creep into her thoughts? 'What you're saying is wrong!' She replied, her internal voice fighting back as she furrowed her eyebrows. She could no longer hear the excited cheers from Fairy Tail, as she was stuck in a cold room with her father.

_Come home. You have a fiancé who is waiting. This isn't where you belong. You don't belong anywhere else but with me._

"Stop! Stop!"

The cheers turned into curious murmur as they watched the Heartfilia girl nervously sweat, her pupils dilating as she clutched her skull. Her head was between her legs, and Lisanna slowly lowered herself down so she could be eye to eye with Lucy. "Are you okay?" she gently whispered, rubbing the girl's back. She tried to ignore how damp her back was getting and continued to rub in slow circles. "Why are you yelling stop?"

"W-What?" Lucy turned to look at Lisanna's concerned eyes and the rest of the members. Everyone held the same expression on their face and Lucy allowed Lisanna to slowly bring her up so her back was resting against the bar. She bit the bottom of her lip, knowing that everyone was expecting an answer. Even the Master was looking at her with bewildered eyes. How was she going to explain this? Why… why was her father doing this? 'Why now, of all times?' She thought, his image appearing and disappearing in her mind. His eyes pierced her soul, surfacing insecurities that she tried to bury many years ago.

_Nobody likes you. They only want you because you're an heiress. You know why Natsu saved you? It's cause he __**pitied**__ you. Everyone pities you. You're just that pathetic little girl who always cries for help. You really believe they're going to take you in just because they're nice? You __**disgust **__me. Go back to your mansion where you belong._

"I... I can't join. I'm sorry." This caused another wave of murmurs as Lucy stared at the ground. She didn't want anyone to see her face right now. She didn't want to watch Lisanna exchange worried looks with her sister. She didn't want to see Gray's shoulders slump with disappointment. She didn't want to see Erza's and Happy's faces contort with confusion. She was trying to fight back the voices but they continued to crowd her mind like little parasites.

She was unaware of a desperate fire breather pushing his way through the crowd, heavily breathing as he stood face to face with the blonde. "But Lucy! Why? You have nowhere else to go! Why don't you want to join?" He exclaimed, shaking the girl's shoulders so that she would look at him. When she did, all he could see was pain and he stopped, allowing his arms to drop as he stepped back. "Why?"

"Natsu, stop it." Makarov stated, as he jumped to the floor and walked towards the blonde. "Everyone has their own reasons. It is not good to push and ask why." He then looked at her, and placed a hand on her knee. "You are always welcome here, Luigi. I will welcome anyone who needs a home."

Lucy sniffed, rubbing her eyes as she nodded. "Y-Yes… and my name is Lucy…"

Makarov laughed, apologized, and then smiled as he turned to look at circus. "Now, don't look so depressed guys! Fairy tales are happy, not sad! We have to be excited for the show tonight!" Everyone tried to cheer as Makarov turned to look at Lucy. "Will you come to the show tonight? I would like you to watch us at least once. I promise it will be a show you will never forget."

"Y-Yes… of course." She gave Makarov a small smile and stood up, brushing her skirt out of habit and walked towards the door. She tried to avoid Natsu, but paused when she felt a strong hold grip her small arms. She took a deep breath and gave him a fake smile. "I'm sorry." She felt his grip loosen on her and she slowly removed his calloused hand from her arm, unconsciously intertwining their fingers before letting go. She took a deep breath as she started making her way towards the exit when she suddenly heard the sound of a horn honking.

Beep, beep!

"Excuse me! Excuse me!"

A small yellow vehicle swerved into the tent, the driver squealing as she tried to stop the car. Lucy screamed, startled by the diversion and felt herself stumble, falling to the ground as she watched smoke come out of the car. The driver coughed, stepping out of her clown car as she turned to look at the damage she had produced. "Oh no! It combusted again!" she whined, scratching her blue hair furiously as she turned to look at the circus, who was staring at her in disbelief. Levi McGarden blinked, not understanding what everyone was looking at. If she only knew.

"Hey guys!" she greeted, waving eagerly as a pierced man walked into the tent, casually twirling a wrench as he looked around. "Look at what Gazille made for me! We could use this for the show!" The clown car was painted with green spots and looked too small to fit in. It was impossible for any member to ride the car, except for Levy who stood at 5'1. She was one of the smallest members in the circus. The guild wasn't sure whether to laugh or applaud as they watched gray smoke fill the air. The car sputtered, sneezing out oil before coming to a complete stop. Gazille cursed, kicking the car as he opened the hood.

"Damn, I thought I fixed that engine."

Lucy blinked, picking herself up as she noticed that the man's clothes were greased with oil. He muttered incoherent curses as he played with the wires, trying to ignite a spark and frowned when the desired result didn't happen. The tent remained quiet, unsure on how to react until an obnoxious laughter filled the air. Natsu was clutching his stomach, pointing a finger at Gazille as he smirked in his usual way. "Gyahaha! You're finally good for something eh, Gazille? Instead of cleaning up elephant shit?"

A vein bulged out of Gazille's forehead when he heard that remark, slamming the hood (which made Levi squeal in terror) as he picked up Natsu by his scarf. "What did you say to me?" Gazille muttered, his eyes narrowing as he dropped the wrench to the floor. Natsu, unaffected slowly mouthed his words. "Shit. Cleaner."

"Damnit Natsu, you're going down!" A new cloud of destruction began to form as fists collided with faces. Lucy, realizing that she wasn't being watched, quickly made her way out of the tent, glad that she was going to leave the circus without recognition.

To Lucy's demise, she did not feel the presence of a certain fire breather, who had snuck out of the cloud and was following her out of the tent. Blue eyes watched the scene as Lisanna lazily stirred her drink. She looked at Happy, who was nibbling on a fish bone as he cheered for Gray to punch Gazille.

"Natsu pays a lot of attention to that new girl huh?" She asked, trying to look casual as she watched the fight ensue. Happy shrugged, ignoring Lisanna's question as he picked up another fish. "I guess sho. I fink sho. I dunno." His mouth was full of fish when he replied. Lisanna didn't say anything and sipped, eyes deep in thought as Erza and Mavarov tried their best to stop the fight. "Hmm…"

….

"Now where is that stupid tent?"

Lucy wandered around the Fairy Tail campus as she tried to find the tent that held her stuff. She was hugging herself tightly as she walked, the voices in her mind mocking her with each step she took. They were pleased with themselves, pleased that they have convinced the Heartfilia princess not to join. Every time she would turn back, they would yell and scream, asking her why she was being stupid and thinking of joining a circus. She was born and raised with diamonds on her hands. Surely she would never fit in.

"LUCCCCCY! LUCCCCCCY!"

The said girl whipped around and gasped when she saw a rosy head run towards her. Natsu was pumping his arms and gasping when he finally reached his destination. He shakily putting a hand on her shoulder and wheezed. "Lucy…. Lucy…. Lucy…." He breathed, unable to continue his sentence from the lack of air in his lungs. She tried to hide her confusion as she pushed his arm away, waiting for him to catch his breath so she could hear what he had to say. Standing up straight, Natsu looked at her, and Lucy immediately felt chills. The intense look he was giving her was making her heart skip a beat, and she could not understand why. It wasn't like he was going to confess his love to her! Surely it would be anything but that! But… why was he here anyways?

"W-What do you want Natsu?" she mumbled, as she tried her best to avoid his gaze. Realizing that he had no intention to leave her alone, she put on her best annoyed face and turned to glare at him. He continued to stare. "I said what do you want?"

All of a sudden, he grinned, catching Lucy completely off guard as she watched him rub his neck in a sheepish matter. Her face twitched. _Now_ she was annoyed. 'What's with this guy?' she thought, feeling completely confused as she felt the wind tickle her arms. How did he manage to make her feel so many emotions at once? It must have been her imagination tricking her just a few minutes ago as she watched the fire breather kick rocks. Why wasn't he doing anything? Why was he just standing there? She decided to repeat her question. "Why are you here?"

"Are you coming to the show tonight?"

"What?"

She blinked.

"Are you coming to the show?"

"Maybe… why?"

He then jabbed a thumb towards his chest and stood with his legs spread apart, giving Lucy a confident smirk. "Cause I'm gonna rock."

She rolled her eyes at his confidence, suppressing a giggle as she tried to keep a serious face. But before she could say anything, she felt her nose get pinched and squeaked, watching the fire breather dash off before she could retaliate. She watched as his back got smaller and smaller, yelling from him to come back and screamed, "What was that for?"

"I better see you there!" He yelled, waving behind him as he ran back to the main tent. She watched until his figure disappeared and felt her cheeks heat up when she rubbed her nose in a light manner. Her nose tingled from his warmth, and she rubbed it furiously to make the feeling disappear. The feeling continued to linger. "What's with this guy…." She repeated, continuing her walk as she searched for her things. But in the back of her mind, the idea of going to the circus grew enticing, and soon enough, she couldn't wait to see the show that would happen in just a few hours.

….

It was now evening and Lucy could feel herself tremble as she made her way to her seat. She was in the largest tent in the Fairy Tail campus, the ceiling decorated with fairies and clouds as joyous music played in the background. She watched couples and families take pictures of the scenery, their excitement contagious as it slowly filled the air. She shifted in her seat, anxious for the show to begin as the audience continued to grow larger. The seats were arranged to hug the black stage that was standing in the middle, green smoke creating a wall to cover any shadows that the audience might see.

She felt the excitement infect her as she patiently waited, crossing and uncrossing her legs as she asked for the time. Okay, so she wasn't being patient. But she couldn't help it! She had been first to come so that she could pick the best seat in the house. That was around 5 o clock… what time was it now? Almost Seven?

She didn't have to wait any longer because the music stopped. The chatter began to quiet down as the lights turned off, making everyone gasp in surprise..

"We ask before we begin to turn off all cellphones, cameras, and electronic devices."

A loud voice boomed throughout the tent, and the audience complied as Lucy heard the sound of phones being turned off. The green smoke covering the stage began to climb higher and started to change into a purplish hue. The spotlights revealed a large, monstrous shadow. The audience gasped as the voice continued to boom.

"Now, who's ready for the Fairy Tail of their life?" Lucy and the audience cheered, and the shadow stepped out of the smoke, revealing a small old man in a ring leader's outfit. The old man grinned as he adjusted his red top hat, spotting Lucy in the audience and gave her a wink. Her chocolate orbs widened. Was that Master Mavarov? Before she could react, a trap door swallowed the Master, making the audience shriek before a sound resonated on the walls.

Beep, beep!

Laughter could be heard as three clowns entered the stage. There were two balancing on large balls and one driving in a car. They rolled around the stage to greet the audience, their grins stretching from ear to ear as they laughed manically. The two boys rolling on the balls leapt into the air, switching their position into a hand stand as they continued to balance and roll. The audience clapped for the boys as the three continued to circle the stage, making a few rounds before the clown car stopped in the middle. Stepping out of the car was a small blue haired clown, who giggled cutely as she beckoned the two clowns to come over. The two boys jumped and began to flip towards the clown, their movements' fluid until they reached their destination. The three then did a pose and yelled, "We are Shadow Gear, the Three Clown Musketeers!"

The audience roared as the clowns started to perform, doing a variety of activities such as juggling and slapstick comedy. Lucy's favourite scene was when the two boys were fist fighting over the blue haired girl and she had stopped their fighting by throwing pies at their faces. The audience agreed as she watched her neighbours clutch their stomachs, unable to breathe as their faces turned into an apple red. The performance continued until all three of them went into the clown car, honking the horns as they drove off the stage.

From then on, a variety of members performed for the audience. Erza looked beautiful as she danced with her swords, looking like a gypsy as her grace mesmerized the audience. Gray, who surprisingly kept his clothes on, amazed the audience with his magic tricks, doves flying into the air as he transformed creatures into ice. His blue haired assistant was also magnificent because she was a trap artist, and was able to make her way out of several chains in less than three minutes. It was even more impressive when she escaped a potato sack while submerged in water. Mirajane and Lisanna were the trapeze duo, doing flips in the air as they caught each other from falling. There were also animal trainers, elephants, and gymnasts, each putting hard work into their performance as they made the audience laugh and cheer.

Lucy couldn't help but admire all of the members as she watched, noticing how happy and proud they were of themselves when the audience clapped for them. She realized that Fairy tail was truly a fairy tale because it made people happy and desire to follow their dreams. It made her think of her life at home, and how she struggled to please her father. She attended dance lessons, went to the best schools, got the highest grades but was never able to make him happy, and no matter how hard she tried, her best wasn't good enough.

She wanted to be like the performers, working their hardest to make everyone smile, for Lucy learned throughout her childhood that her father's smile was all she ever wanted. For him to pat him on the head and say, "You did well." For him to take her to the park and spend the day eating ice cream and talking about her school. She wanted… she wanted…

"Now, for the final act of the night! Please welcome the dragon of the circus!"

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts as the audience screamed, feeling her heart thud in her chest as she watched a red dragon stomp towards the stage. Gray smoke escaped its nostrils as its yellow eyes scanned the audience. When the dragon spotted Lucy, it roared as it started to breathe out fire. Lucy froze, her body unable to move as the dragon looked straight into her eyes. The dragon was giving her an intense look, and she felt as if her soul was being peered into.

_I… I want to be…. I want to be…._

The dragon suddenly grinned, giving her a grin that was all too familiar as smoke started to envelop the body. It roared once more before its body was completely submerged, and when it finally disappeared, it revealed a pink haired fire breather and his pet cat. "Gyahaha!" Natsu laughed, twirling batons in his hand as Happy dropped a sack on the floor. The audience started to boo, disappointed that the dragon disappeared. Natsu twitched, veins bulging out of his skull before yelling, "Hey! What the hell! I didn't even show you my moves yet!"

Happy fluttered down to the floor and dug into the sack, grabbing at least ten cabbages before throwing them in the air. Natsu reached for his jug and took a swig, immediately burning all of the cabbages without hesitation. The audience was silent as Natsu laughed, standing proudly on the stage as he puffed out his chest. The silence was almost unbearable as Lucy shifted in her seat, trying to not look uncomfortable as she watched Natsu burn various vegetables and fruits. It made her angry that the audience wasn't responding to Natsu's act, and she was tempted to grab the burned vegetables and throw it at them.

Natsu did not seem disturbed as he commanded Happy to pick him up, who flew him to the sky until he reached the clouds and fairies. With one long swig, he blew a ring of fire that surrounded the stage and spelled the words "Fairy Tail" with flames. He then asked Happy to drop him to the floor as he curled into a ball, continuing to blow fire as he looked like a meteor ready to strike earth. He then smashed through the stage, landing with a big BOOM as he landed with his fist on the floor, one knee touching the ground. The flames rose higher because of the wind, and Natsu waited until it dyed to stand up again, his scarf floating softly behind him. He reminded Lucy of the Prince of Flames, as he stood with the jug in his hands and his sidekick on his shoulder. He then cried, "SO HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?"

Lucy couldn't believe the tremendous response Natsu was getting. People were standing on their chairs, screaming praises while Natsu slowly walked off the stage. There were whistles coming from guys and fan girlish cooing coming from girls. As she sat there in a daze, she didn't notice Natsu spin around and wave to the audience. When he looked at her, she felt her breath hitch and gulped. He chuckled, giving her a thumb up, before running away with Happy.

As she watched the audience leave and commentate on the show, Lucy stayed in her seat until the tent was completely empty. She was lost in her thoughts, unsure on how to react from watching a spectacular show. She loved everything about the circus, but could not stop herself from feeling flabbergasted. She was impressed by Natsu and how he continued to perform when no one was cheering. How he kept the audience in suspense and waited till the last minute to amaze them. It was incredible. He was incredible.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_I…. I… I want to be happy._

….

"Good going birdbrain, I see you destroyed the stage again."

"Shut up ice man!" Natsu exclaimed as he grabbed a towel from Lisanna. He wiped his sweat off his forehead, chest, and shoulders before throwing the towel on the floor. He collapsed on a chair, resting his head on the cool table as he sighed. Happy sat on the table and looked at him curiously. "Do you think Lucy will come back after watching us?" His voice was quiet as he recalled how happy she looked while watching all of the performances. It made him especially proud that he had managed to shut Lucy up with his amazing act, snickering at the image of her 'deer in the headlights' look. Happy's ears flatten to his head as he looked at Natsu's sad face."I dunno Natsu… maybe…"

As soon as he said that, the whole circus gasped as the said blonde walked into their tent. Happy quickly tapped Natsu on the head, who grunted as he lifted his head in response. When he saw Lucy, he grinned and stood up from his chair. "Lucy! You're here!"

The girl ignored him as she walked towards the Master, who was trying to take off his ringleader's costume. When he saw Lucy in the mirror, he raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her. "Lucy… what brings you here?"

"Master I… I…." She was unable to continue as a tear trickled down her eye. The Master only smiled and beckoned her to bend down. When she did, he placed his hand on her forehead. "Didn't I say you were always welcome here?"

The tent waited in anticipation.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail."

Everyone erupted in cheers as Mirajane swooped to hug Lucy. Natsu and Happy high fived, their sad faces erased with grins as Natsu leapt into the air and whooped. Gray smirked as he proceeded to take off his tie, but then cursed and realized that his clothes were missing. This made Juvia, his blue haired assistant, blush and turn away. As everyone threw their costumes in the air, Lucy couldn't help but laugh as she hugged Mira and wiped the tear from her eye.

_I want to be happy. And make people happy. With them._


	5. Her Perfect Role

Chapter Five: Her Perfect Role  
Fairy Tail Fanfiction  
Character's owned by Hiro Mashima

**A/N: **Uhm… I haven't updated this in so long. I AM SORRY. Please enjoy this chapter, which is filled with lots of interaction and… yeah… I AM SORRY.

….

"If you want to join this guild, then we're gonna have to give you a role."

"A role?"

Lucy, Makarov and Erza were walking around the circus grounds, monitoring the clean up as the members picked up empty sake cans and wrappers. After their performance, Fairy Tail had a big feast to celebrate, filled with laughs and arguments (mostly by Gray and Natsu) that lasted throughout the night. The guild had only gotten a few hours of sleep, but everyone was still determined to help clean their circus up in preparations for their next show.

Erza nodded, watching as Makarov walked over to Mirajane to lend her a hand, who was struggling to drag three garbage bags full of empty cans into the recycling bin. "Almost everyone in Fairy Tail has a role here. Whether it's by being a mechanic, performer, or stage crew. It's important for everyone to do their part."

She then looked at Lucy and smiled.

"Because the circus is our home."

Lucy stared at the red-haired woman in awe as Erza walked off to approach a couple of circus members in order to thank them for doing their part in the clean up. She watched as one of the members rubbed the back of their neck in embarrassment, and could see how much they admired Erza. It couldn't help make Lucy wonder… Was Erza always this… cool? She didn't understand why Natsu and Gray were so scared of her.

Lucy then clenched both her hands into a fist, looking down at them with determination. "I must also do my best to work hard!"

Erza noticed this out of the corner of her eye and smiled, waving farewell to the members as she walked back to Lucy. "Sorry about that."

Lucy blinked, jumping at Erza's not-so-sudden appearance. Fixing her composure, she laughed, hoping that Erza didn't see her little moment and told her that it was alright. It was nice of her to check up on the members.

"Well of course, I need to make sure that everyone's doing their share. And that nobody's slacking…"

Erza wrinkled her forehead after that statement, which made Lucy curious as to whom she was referring to, but had no chance to ask because Erza quickly cleared her throat and continued.

"Did you have any ideas on what you want to do for this circus?"

Lucy was silent, unable to answer Erza's question as she began to think. She actually hadn't thought that far yet. She remembered being captivated by Natsu's performance and deciding that she wanted to be part of Fairy Tail's circus, but she didn't really think of what her role would be yet.

"Uhm…"

"You should be a performer. You're too pretty to be behind the scenes."

Lucy blushed, shocked at how nonchalant Erza was being. "R-Really? Y-You think so?"

"Certainly. I can't imagine you being a mechanic. I'm sure that being greasy doesn't appeals to you." Erza turned to look at Lucy, who wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought of wearing blue coveralls. "Unless you don't want to perform? Do you have any abilities in technical work?"

"No… I was never taught to do those things. I was always taught how to be a lady, and was forced to take things that were considered elegant."

"Elegant?"

_Shit!_ Lucy covered her mouth, looking at Erza's confused face as she nervously laughed. Why did she have to talk so much? "U-Uhm… I-I mean… I used to take dance lessons! Does that mean anything?"

Still feeling suspicious, Erza decided to drop the subject as she crossed her arms, trying to think how dancing would benefit Lucy. "Dancing? Hmm… Well you could always try -"

She was suddenly interrupted by two loud voices, which were shouting not too far from where Erza and Lucy were standing. From what they were saying, Erza assumed that they were trying to compete about something, which made the red-haired girl sigh and pull on the younger girl's hand. "Eh? Where are we going?" Lucy asked.

"To those slackers that I mentioned before."

….

"GYAHAHA, Gray! I told you I could carry more than you!"

"You…. Haven't…. Beaten me yet!"

Gray grunted as he tried to balance two-dozen planks on his back, beads of sweat accumulating from his forehead as he tried to walk towards the tent. He and Natsu were currently having a contest to see who could carry more, and he'd be damned if he allowed that stupid flame-brain to win.

"You can't do it! Just admit your defeat, you stripper!"

"SHUT UP! You're making me lose my concentration!"

"Just what in heaven's name are you two doing?"

"AHH!"

Both boys jumped when they saw Erza and Lucy walk towards them and began to panic. "N-Nothing! We're being g-good friends as always!" Natsu tried to put his arm around Gray, but Gray quickly shifted away from Natsu. "What the hell! Don't touch me, I'm going to – AHHH!"

His sudden movement had caused the pile of planks to wobble, and Gray was slowly starting to lose his balance as he ran inside the tent. Lucy screamed as she watched Gray bump into one of the tent's poles, making the tent and the planks on his back fall on top of him. A loud crash could be heard, followed by a cry of pain as a cloud of dust rose into the air. When it disappeared, Lucy quickly ran towards the tent, pulling off the cover and screamed to see Gray's body underneath the disaster.

"GRAY!"

"Ugh…"

Lucy, feeling tears swell up, turned to Natsu and Erza, who surprisingly looked calm as they looked at Gray's crumpled body. "We have to get a doctor or something! He's hurt!"

A snicker accidently escaped from Natsu, who smirked at Gray's misfortune. Turning to Erza, he immediately changed his expression when he saw Erza glare at him. "W-What?"

"Just what were you guys doing?"

Natsu put his hands behind his head, shuffling his feet as he tried to stay calm under Erza's hot gaze. Damnit, she was so scary. Why wasn't Happy with him? "Me and Gray got bored putting away the planks so we made it a contest to see who could carry the most. I carried a dozen and put it in the tent safely. S'not my fault ice man lost his balance and destroyed the whole thing."

This answer made Natsu receive a hard punch on the head, which made the fire breather curse as he rubbed his head. "It wasn't my fault!" Receiving another hot gaze, Natsu cowered and bowed his head slightly. "Sorry."

Erza sighed, crossing her arms as she looked at the mess Gray made. "Well, since both of you are at fault, it's your job to put it back up."

"EXCUSE ME!"

Natsu and Erza stared at Lucy, who, for the past few minutes, was trying to get their attention by waving her arms to flag them.

"Why do you look like a chicken?" Natsu asked, tilting his head to the side.

Trying her best to ignore that comment, Lucy screamed, "HELLO! Gray is badly injured here! Why are you guys just standing there, acting like nothing happened? We have to go save him!"

"Who's injured?"

Lucy sharply turned around, and felt her eyes bulge out when she saw Gray stand up, groaning in pain as he rubbed the back of his head. "Man, that's smarts. Thought I was going to die there."

"H-How…" Lucy sputtered, unable to say anything as she noticed that Gray had no injuries. There were only a few scratches and a small stream of blood coming from his forehead. " _Unbelievable! He's like a superhuman! He even managed to take his shirt off!_

"Jeeze, you managed to survive that crash and take off your shirt while you were under there, huh?" Natsu asked, watching Gray wipe the blood off his forehead with his shirt. "Such a stripper."

"Shut up. I wouldn't have fallen if you didn't try to put your arms around me. And if you hadn't noticed… I made it to the tent. So I win the competition." Gray grinned, watching Natsu's face contort from confusion to realization before the fire breather yelled,

"DID NOT! You crashed inside! That's cheating!"

"You didn't make that part of the rules!"

"That still doesn't count! You couldn't make it, so I win!"

"Idiot!"

"Dumb ass!"

"Grrr…"

Sparks began to fly between the two, and they were prepared to start another fight until Erza stepped in. Hitting the boys on the head (making Gray almost lose conscious), she watched as they rubbed their bumps before pointing a finger at the fallen tent. "You're both idiots. Go fix that tent and put in the planks properly. Lucy and I were discussing about what she could do in the circus until your idiocy ruined my train of concentration."

Natsu perked up, hearing about Lucy and quickly grinned at the girl. "So you really did join Fairy Tail after all!" Lucy nodded, showing the pink insignia that was stamped onto the back of her hand. "I even have the mark now!"

"That's great Luigi!"

"IT'S LUCY! GET IT RIGHT!"

"Anyways…" Gray began, giving Lucy a small smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. "That's great that you were able to join Fairy Tail. Have you and Erza come up with any ideas on what your role's gonna be?"

"Well-"

Erza interrupted by saying, "We were _about_ to get to that, but couldn't because I had to come here." Giving Natsu and Gray one more look, she rubbed her temples, taking a deep breath as she let her fingers drop back to her side. " Well I did mention that she should be a performer. What do you guys think?"

"I think that's an awesome idea!" Natsu exclaimed, jumping up and down at the image of Lucy on the stage. "You could help me and Happy with our flame act!"

"Uhm…" Lucy remembered how much fire Natsu had burst out in just one show, and chuckled nervously. "No thanks. I think I'd get myself set on fire if I helped you…"

Natsu pouted, but was quickly shoved backwards by Gray as the magician stepped forward. "Well, you could always be my assistant. I could do bigger magic tricks with two assistants by my side."

"Really?" Lucy exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight. "That would be wonder-"

"JUVIA DOES NOT ALLOW THAT!"

Everyone turned to stare at the blue-haired assistant, who had come out of her hiding spot and was now marching towards Lucy. "Only Juvia can be Gray-sama's assistant. JU-VI-A." By the time she was in front of Lucy, she narrowed her eyes, making Lucy feel nervous as she tried to look to Gray for help. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"Juvia will not allow this! You like Gray-sama don't you? My rival in love!"

This made both Gray and Lucy sputter, their cheeks colouring as Lucy shook her head and waved her hands in denial. "N-No! Nothing like that is going on!"

"Yah, don't spew out random nonsense! I was just asking her if she wanted to be my assistant!."

As if lightning had struck Juvia, the blue-haired girl gasped as she turned to look at Gray. Tears fell down from the girl's eyes. "E-Eh? I-Is Gray-sama not happy with Juvia? Has Juvia been doing a bad job?" She then turned around, bending down so that her rear was facing the magician. "You can punish J-Juvia if you want! Juvia doesn't mind!"

This made Gray turn cherry-bomb red, making Natsu, Erza, and Lucy stare at him in confusion.

"Do you… always do this Gray?" Erza asked, cracking her knuckles dangerously.

"NO! I don't know what the hell she's talking about! GAH! STOP doing that!"

"But Gray-sama~"

Gray, unable to handle the situation any further, began to run away from Juvia, who proceeded to chase after him with her arms close to her chest. Her cries of wanting Gray to punish her rang throughout the circus, which made Lucy sweat-dropped as she laughed out of confusion. "That was really weird…" she mumbled, looking at Natsu, who was cleaning his ear as he nodded in agreement.

"Indeed."

Silence filled the air between the three, which was soon quickly broken when Erza's sharp ears heard another cry. She sighed, hoping that it wasn't another group of circus members doing another "competition". She then turned to Natsu and Lucy, waved to them goodbye and started to walk off.

"Sorry Lucy, it looks like another group needs me. I'll be back later, so you can tell me what you have decided by then. We need to start your training right away."

She then looked between Natsu and Lucy, a small smile creeping her feature as she patted the busty blonde on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure Natsu can help you."

"E-Eh? B-But!"

Lucy could only watch as Erza's figure grew smaller and smaller, making the seventeen-year-old girl sigh as she watched whom she was left with. The fire breather was staring at something on his finger, giving it a two second glance before flicking it on the ground. Eww. So gross.

_Why do I have to be stuck with this guy?_

"Natsu?" Lucy called, perking the said man's ears as he turned to look at her. "Do you wanna walk around? We can check to see what other people are doing."

"Sure, why not?"

Giving her his signature grin, he put his hands behind his head once more as he started to walk towards a random direction. Lucy quickly followed, and the two began to discuss on what Natsu thought would be the perfect role for Lucy. She was surprised that Natsu was actually trying to think for her, and found it slightly endearing that he cared enough to help her out. If only the roles he suggested just weren't so… dangerous.

….

"Sword eater?"

"Isn't that what Erza does?"

"No, she sword _dances_. That's a different thing."

"Oh. Err… no thanks. I don't want to be choking on pointy things…"

"Lion tamer?"

"Sounds frightening."

"Elephant?"

"Seriously?"

Natsu sighed out of exasperation, scratching his head as he glared at Lucy. "Jeeze, you keep rejecting all my ideas! We've been at this for an hour now!"

"Well I wouldn't keep rejecting them if you would stop giving me such weird roles!"

"Hey, I'm sure being an elephant is tough! They gotta carry people and stuff!"

"Natsu, are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

As the two continued to argue, they didn't seem to realize that they had walked into Elfman's tent, who was currently busy cleaning a cannon. Humming, the strong man went to find another rag when he noticed yellow and pink standing near him. "Oh, Lucy, Natsu! What brings you here?"

"Huh?" Turning his head to look at the voice, Natsu saw Elfman walk towards him and waved. "Oh hi, Elfman! Didn't notice that we were in your tent!" Ignoring Lucy, he then noticed the shiny cannon and dropped his jaw. "OOOH, what's that?" Natsu asked excitedly, his eyes sparkling as he ran towards the cannon and began to touch it. (Which made Elfman frown as he had just finished cleaning it.)

Throwing the rag into a bucket, Elfman smirked as he put his hands on his hips. "Oh that? That's a cannon. I was hoping to show Master, so that we could put it in the next show. It's very manly, huh? It can shoot out people."

"Really? Where are you suppose to shoot them?"

Elfman then directed Natsu to the net that was set up on the other side of the tent. It was about a kilometre in distance, and was large enough to support someone with Elfman's weight. "You shoot them over there. I've already tested it out myself. It's pretty safe."

"Oh really~" A devious glint went into Natsu's eyes as he turned to look at Lucy, who was currently looking at another direction. He then turned to Elfman and innocently asked, "Is there some kind of suit that you wear for protection?"

Elfman pointed to the red, white and blue one piece that was sitting on the bench. "Of course. It's not manly to do something dangerous without protection. You're supposed to wear this, since it's fireproof. Won't make your clothes singe."

"Interesting~"

Bolting to the bench, Natsu scooped up the one piece that was sitting on the bench and eagerly went up towards Lucy. Tapping the girl on the shoulder, the girl couldn't even mutter a, "What?" before he shoved her to the corner of the tent, where the changing room was, and closed the curtains in front of her. Throwing the suit over, he yelled, "Put this on! I think I know what you can do!"

"Wha? Really? Wait, why do I need to put on this suit?"

"Just do it!"

A few minutes later, Lucy opened the curtains and walked out, wrinkling her eyebrows in confusion as she scratched her sides. The suit was too big for her, and covered her hands. She found it difficult to walk in as she tried to hop towards Elfman and Natsu. They both looked eager about something, making Lucy suspicious as she yanked her pants up. "Why am I wearing this? It's too big on me."

"Oh, you'll see~"

"Natsu, you're acting – ACK!" All of a sudden, Natsu had swung Lucy over his shoulder, and proceeded to carry her to the cannon. "W-What are you doing?" She asked, trying to keep her cool as she felt Natsu put her into a cylinder. It constricted her movements, and made Lucy feel uncomfortable as she tried to wiggle free. "W-Wha? What is this? NATSU DRAGONEEL GET ME OUT OF HERE THIS INSTANT!"

"But why, Luce?" Natsu said, grabbing the helmet from Elfman's hand as he roughly squished it on Lucy's head. Buckling and making sure it was tight, Natsu was chuckling with excitement as he stood back to admire his work. "I thought you wanted to discover your perfect role in Fairy Tail?"

"Yah I do, but I have no idea what's happening right now. What is this? And why the hell did you put this helmet on me!"

Ssss…

Lucy could hear a fire suddenly start, making the girl panic as her struggles began to become frantic. Why was this happening to her? _Damnit Natsu, you were supposed to help me out! Just what have you gotten me into? _"NATSU, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ONCE I GET OUT OF THIS. JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

"It's simple. You're gonna get shot out of a cannon."

_Oh no._

"WHAT! NAT-SU. GET ME OUT OF HERE SO I COULD MURDER YOU!"

"But Lucy~ Don't you want to see if you fit this role? It looks fun! I wish I was in your position right now!"

"THEN WHY AREN'T YOU IN THIS?"

"Because." Looking behind her, he noticed that the string behind the cannon was getting shorter and shorter, and finally gave Lucy one last look. "You look cute in that suit."

"W-What?"

"HUMAN CANNON BALL!"

Lucy could feel something explode behind her as she was suddenly propelled in the air. Natsu burst out laughing, watching Lucy screamed bloody murder as tears streamed down her eyes. "AAAAHH NATSU I'M-GOING-TO-GET-YOU-FOR-THIS-ONCE-I-LAND AHHHHHHH"

Elfman cupped his hands beside his mouth and yelled, "LUCY! YOU ARE SO (WO)MANLY!"

"AAAHHH!"

Her world started to spin as she felt herself coming down at an incredible speed, her vision blurring as she watched the net come closer and closer. Whether she landed or not, she couldn't remember, for her eyes rolled to the back of her head and everything surrounding her turned black.

….

"THAT IDIOT!"

Lucy stomped angrily away from the tent, Natsu's blood dripping from her knuckles as she furiously adjusted her clothes. She had woken up sputtering water, after getting splashed by a worried Elfman and a panicking Natsu. She didn't even give him time to apologize as she had quickly proceeded to beat the crap out of him.

"I AM NEVER GOING TO TRUST HIM AGAIN! I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! ARGGH!"

Kicking a bucket of water, Lucy continued to stomp the circus grounds, shaking her fists. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid._ The more she thought about him, the more she got angry, and Lucy let out another scream as she finally found a random square of haystack to sit on. Crossing her legs and arms out of irritation, she remembered Natsu's last words before her fist made contact with his face.

"_I-I thought you wanted to find out your perfect role! W-Wasn't that fun?"_

"As if being a human cannon ball is something I want to do! Stupid, so stupid! Aghhh!" Grabbing her head, she put her gaze down and huffed, taking a few minutes to regulate her breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. Sitting in silence, she could feel her anger slowly diminish, and tried her best to block out any images of the fire Salamander. How he had laughed at her when she got shot out of the cannon. How he had made her wear that ridiculous looking suit. How he looked when he said that she looked cute.

This made Lucy widen her eyes at the sudden realization that Natsu had called her cute. Natsu Dragoneel. Calling Lucy cute. Her heart began to beat irregularly, and she cursed herself for feeling like this as she patted herself in the chest, trying to make it stop. "D-Damnit… he probably only said that to catch me off guard…"

While Lucy was busy trying to convince herself that Natsu's cute comment was just a joke, she didn't notice Lisanna stare at her from a distance, scrubbing an elephant. She tilted her head in curiosity when she recognized the blonde. What was Lucy doing here? Hosing the elephant, she put her supplies down on the floor and started to walk towards the girl, who was making weird faces for some strange reason. Did something happen? She couldn't help but feel a small pang in her heart when she heard the blonde mutter out Natsu's name. Trying her best not to falter, she waited until Lucy finally calmed down before tapping her on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" Lucy looked up; her brown orbs staring at blue ones. "Oh, Lisanna!" She called out, standing up to greet the girl. "W-What brings you here? Y-You didn't see anything did you?"

"This is where I wash the elephants," Lisanna explained, as she extended her arm to showcase the elephant she was washing. Chuckling at Lucy's shocked expression, she shrugged her shoulders when Lucy asked her a question, and said, "I'm not sure what you mean. Unless you're talking about the little spasm you were having for a moment."

"S-Spasm?" Lucy felt embarrassment wash over her as she looked down, tapping her two index fingers together. "I-I wasn't spazzing…"

"Ehh, it's okay! It's not like I'll tell anyone! Did something interesting happen?"

"U-Uhm… you could say that…"

Lisanna plopped herself onto one of the squares of haystack, and patted Lucy to sit down beside her. Obliging, Lucy slowly sat herself down, and felt herself jerk back when Lisanna brought her face close to hers.

"W-What?"

"You can tell me Lucy!" Lisanna said, giving her a smile. "I won't tell anyone!"

"W-Well, it's not really embarrassing… it's just…" Lucy took a deep breath and sighed. "Was Natsu always so weird?"

This caught Lisanna off guard for a moment, but she quickly changed her shocked expression back into a smile and answered. "Well, it depends on what you mean by weird."

"Like, he'll put you into dangerous situations that almost kill you?"

This made Lisanna giggle, as she recalled the times that her and Natsu would make Mirajane mad when they were younger. "I guess you can say that. Natsu can be kind of reckless. But he means well." Lucy slumped her shoulders, making Lisanna instinctively rub the girl's back in a comforting way. "Did he do something?" Lisanna asked. "I can beat him up for you if you want."

"No need, I already did." With that, Lucy chuckled weakly and continued, "He sent me blasting off from Elfman's cannon, thinking I'd have loads of fun if I was a human cannon ball. Almost scared me to death." Hearing Lisanna giggle, Lucy pouted, but began to laugh as well when she looked at Lisanna's face. She was so pretty. "He was trying to help me find a role in Fairy Tail, but I didn't think he would go to such extents…"

"A role?" Lisanna blinked, feeling confused for a moment until her eyes caught sight of Lucy's pink tattoo. _Oh that's right. She's joined the circus._ "Well, maybe perhaps I can be of help. What is it that you want to do exactly?"

"Mmm…" Lucy paused, giving herself time to think before she answered, "Well, I want to perform. And something that deals with dancing, I guess? I don't know…"

Nodding, Lisanna pursed her lips, trying to think of a role that dealt with dancing. There wasn't really much dancing in the circus. It was mostly acrobatics and tricks. But seeing Lucy's devastated face, she racked her brain to think of something that was appropriate for her. Well there was always…

"Stand up for a second." Lisanna gently pulled Lucy up to her feet, and looked at her from top to bottom. Leading Lucy to a barrel, she carefully put the barrel to its side and placed a large wooden plank on top of it. "Walk on that."

"Eh?"

"Just walk. Don't worry, it's not going to be dangerous. I can hold your hand if you like."

Gently squeezing onto Lisanna's hand, Lucy slowly walked up towards the plank, her free arm flapping for a moment as she tried to control her balance. The further she walked, the more difficult she found it to be, but she somehow managed to gracefully put herself in the middle and balance herself onto the wooden plank. "This isn't so bad." Lucy stated, finding her centre of gravity as she let go of Lisanna's hand. The barrel suddenly started to roll, which made Lucy squeak as she struggled to regain her balance. When she finally did, her eyes brightened, feeling proud of herself as she started to spin on the plank. "Look, Lisanna! I'm balancing!"

The white-haired girl applauded her, her smile growing bigger as she watched Lucy walk down the plank and finish with a bow. "I noticed! You have really good balance because of your dance lessons. You know, maybe you should be Fairy Tail's tight ropewalker."

"A tight ropewalker?" Lucy had never thought of that. She remembered seeing images of tight ropewalkers, and started to shake at the idea of being a few hundred metres away from the ground. "D-Don't you have to be really high though?"

"Well yah, but you get to wear super cute outfits every time you go on stage. We have an awesome costume designer. Plus you get a parasol."

That was all the encouragement Lucy needed, before she pumped her fist in the air. "OKAY! LOOK OUT WORLD! FAIRY TAIL'S GOT A NEW TIGHT ROPEWALKER IN TOWN!"


End file.
